Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps Ofcom is taking to help tackle websites that provide instructions on committing suicide.

The Online Safety Act requires in-scope services to prevent all users from encountering illegal suicide and self-harm content, and children from legal content encouraging, promoting, or providing instructions for suicide or self-harm.

The independent regulator Ofcom enforces compliance with the Act. Ofcom’s first investigation under the Act targeted a pro-suicide forum. On 6 January, Ofcom confirmed it has informed the forum provider that Ofcom is working towards issuing a provisional notice of contravention in relation to Act breaches.

Ofcom has also established a dedicated small but risky supervision taskforce, focusing on small services posing the most severe risk of harm.